Innate Immunity

What is innate immunity

First line of defense in the immune system, providing immediate, non-specific protection against pathogens through physical barriers and immune cells. (e.g.skin, mucous membranes, and various immune responses involving white blood cells. )

What is direct Contact Transmission

when disease is transferred from an infected person to another through physical contact.

Examples of how Person-to-person Transmission can occur

Mucous, contact eg.

Examples of Droplet Transmission

Sneezing, coughing.

Examples of Airborne Transmission

Transmission of pathogens via aerosols in the air, such as dust or droplets that can remain suspended in the air.

Define Fomites

objects or surfaces that can carry infectious agents and transmit disease

Examples of Animal-to-Person Transmission

Helminths in the soil, parasites, rabies from animal bites, or diseases transmitted by insects like Lyme disease

Examples of vector

Mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and lice.

What are Environmental Reservoirs

Soil, water, and vegetation.

Define Vector

An organism that transmits pathogens between host.

Characteristics of Bacteria

Prokaryotic cell, with a cell wall, 0.5-5 micrometers. Divide by binary fission; Reproduce quickly.

Characteristics of Virus

Acellular, with no cell wall but with a protein capsid, 0.01 to 0.3 micrometers. Need a host to reproduce; Mutate, evolve, recombine quickly.

Explain First Line of Defence

Physical barriers and the immune system defend the body against pathogens

Purpose of Non-specific Defence

The purpose of this line of defense is to STOP microbes from entering the body

Examples of Physical Barrier and how it works

The skin and mucous membranes act as a barrier to PREVENT penetration by microbes

How does the Second Line of Defence work

Stops any type of microbe; has attacking cells and molecules which attack pathogens that manage to breach the first line of defence…

Describe Innate Responses

Non- specific, rapid, present in all animals, are fixed responses, and do not create immunological ‘memory’.

Characteristics of Adaptive Immune Response

Slower to develop, but manifests as increased antigenic specificity and memory

How does Inflammation occur

A pathogen stimulates an increase in blood flow to an infected area; Blood vessels in the area expand; White blood cells leak into the tissue from the vessels to invade the infected tissue; WBC (phagocytes) can then engulf and destroy bacteria.

What is Phagocytosis + characteristics

A cellular process for ingesting and eliminating particles larger than 0.5 μm in diameter, including microorganisms, foreign substances, and apoptotic cells.

How do fevers form

Forms as a response to infection, initiated by the release of pyrogens that act on the hypothalamus to raise body temperature, aiding in the immune response.